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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24796384">The Sun Will Rise</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/jadedsunshine/pseuds/jadedsunshine'>jadedsunshine</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Power Rangers (2017)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Angst, F/F</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-06-18</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-04-11</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-04 11:01:45</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>3,104</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24796384</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/jadedsunshine/pseuds/jadedsunshine</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Life was good. Great, even. Until it wasn’t anymore.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Kimberly Hart/Trini</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>17</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>54</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Day 17 - Sunrise</p><p>Yeah, it's gonna be angsty. I don't know where it's coming from either. lol</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>From the very beginning, it had been the Power Rangers against the world. Battle after battle, they had each other’s backs. They cared for each other’s wounds, physical and emotional. The five clung tightly to the idea that they would be together forever.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>They had started as just teenagers with busted up stories. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Trini had just moved to Angel Grove after her stepfather had gotten another promotion. She struggled as her parents tried hard to stick to the status quo, trying harder to label her. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Fix </span>
  </em>
  <span>her. She loved her family, but she wasn’t going to give in to being put in a box. It didn’t help that her mother was pregnant. Another branch of the family tree that she would only be half related to worried her, made her feel that soon, her branch would fall off altogether. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Jason was the hometown hero that failed and let everyone down. The high school football team wouldn’t bring home a championship that year and that weight was entirely rested on his shoulders. His relationship with his father grew rocky and he was afraid there was no fixing it.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Zack was dealing with his chronically ill mother being on bed rest. Providing primary care on his own slowly started to break him. He couldn’t sleep, couldn’t eat, and constantly had to hold his breath when he walked into his mother’s room in hopes of seeing her chest rise and fall, signifying to him that she was still alive. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Billy did whatever he could to remain close to the memory of his late father. It wasn’t his struggle with being on the spectrum that made him weak, it was the hole in his heart meant for the man he looked up to the most. He’d do anything to be just like him, to make his father proud. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>And Kimberly, her downfall was so sudden and unexpected that it knocked the wind out of her. She couldn’t even come to terms with it herself, was unsure of how it all even unraveled and was unable to talk about it. She did her best to cope by accepting the things she could not change and changing the things she could. All it took was one pair of scissors to cut away a past she no longer wanted to be a part of. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The five had gone from strangers to friends to </span>
  <em>
    <span>family</span>
  </em>
  <span>.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>As they grew older, it only seemed natural that they found a place of their own. Somewhere away from the spaceship and an escape from all of their ranger duties. The three-bedroom fixer-upper wasn’t much, but it was enough. The girls had been dating since their senior year, so the boys had no problem handing over the master bedroom to them. Jason and Zack shared the second room, allowing Billy to have the space they all knew he needed by letting him have the third room. They converted the garage into a workshop and gym, giving themselves a place to keep their minds and bodies in shape during hiatuses between big bads.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Life was good.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Great, even. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Until it wasn’t anymore. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You don’t get to just decide to leave, Kimberly,” Trini spat out, her hand digging through locks of hair in frustration. “That’s not how this works, we’re a fucking </span>
  <em>
    <span>team</span>
  </em>
  <span>!” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Trini’s tone pierces Kimberly’s heart. She knows the agony she’s causing, the pain, but she can’t help it. She has to go. “I feel like I’m suffocating, T.” She tries hard to keep her voice calm, steady. She can’t risk it cracking, not right now. “I can’t explain it, I just have to—” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Don’t,” Jason rushes towards the pink ranger, stopping to stand right in front of her. “Don’t you </span>
  <em>
    <span>dare </span>
  </em>
  <span>do this. You don’t get to just run away from this, Kim. From </span>
  <em>
    <span>her</span>
  </em>
  <span>.” He points towards Trini who’s now engulfed in Zack’s embrace, tears threatening to spill from her eyes. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I just don’t understand,” Billy says as he looks up from where he’s sitting at their kitchen table. “I thought you were happy? Did something happen? Did we do something?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Kimberly instantly shakes her head. “No, Billy, I just,” she struggles to get out any words. “I just need more.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“More?!” Trini yells, pulling herself from Zack’s arms and heading for her girlfriend. “What more could you possibly want, Kimberly? Are we not enough?” She can feel the anger bubbling inside of her and can’t hold back. “Am </span>
  <em>
    <span>I</span>
  </em>
  <span> not fucking enough for you, </span>
  <em>
    <span>princess</span>
  </em>
  <span>.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Jason steps aside, letting Trini get past him as he reaches for Zack’s hand, trying to find comfort as he watches a part of his team fall apart. “Tri—”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No, Jason, let her answer!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It’s not that simple,” Kimberly cries. “I love you, Trini, I love all of you.” Kimberly looks away again, trying hard to find the words to explain herself. “But we’ve been doing this for </span>
  <em>
    <span>years </span>
  </em>
  <span>now, there has to be something more out there.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“But this is what we signed up for,” Billy replies, sitting back in his chair and crossing his arms. “You can’t just leave, we have a responsibility. This is who we are.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No, I never signed up for this. None of us did,” Kimberly sighs, looking around the kitchen at the four people she knows she’s hurting. “We were chosen, assigned to be these warriors who protected the Zeo Crystal.” Kimberly closes her eyes and takes a breath. “All I know now is Angel Grove and being a Power Ranger. And honestly, I just feel trapped. I want more. To see more, be more. I dunno, I have to go out and find myself, I guess.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Zack raises a brow, taking his turn at his teammate. “And what happens when you don’t find what you’re looking for, huh? Do you come running back to us? Expect us to be here waiting with open arms after you tear us apart?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I don’t know what’s going to happen, but I can’t just…” Kimberly throws her arms up in frustration, still fighting the dam inside of her that’s threatening to break. “I can’t.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Then go!” Trini shouts, pointing at the door of their home. “</span>
  <em>
    <span>Go</span>
  </em>
  <span>, Kim!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Babe.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No!” The yellow ranger’s face twists in anger. “I said go! You said you want more? Then </span>
  <em>
    <span>leave</span>
  </em>
  <span>! But I won’t be that lovestruck idiot who sits back and waits for you to come back to her. If you walk out that door, that’s it. It’s over. We’re </span>
  <em>
    <span>over</span>
  </em>
  <span> and I never want to see you again.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Kimberly takes a deep breath as she decides her own fate, finally letting the tears roll down her cheeks. “Okay.” She reaches into her pocket, grasping the one thing that keeps her connected to her team, her family, and pulls it out.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Billy’s eyes widen as she places her power coin gently on the table in front of him. “Kim,” he whispers. “Please.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m sorry,” she whispers in return as she takes another look at him, at Jason and Zack, and finally back at Trini. “</span>
  <em>
    <span>I’m so sorry</span>
  </em>
  <span>.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>As Kimberly's hand twists the doorknob, the three boys get to Trini’s side as they all watch in a daze as she leaves. Trini’s entire body shakes as the door closes and snaps her back to reality.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>--</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Trini woke up to find Jason cradled in Zack’s embrace on her right and Billy on her left, clutching Kimberly’s pink power coin tightly in his hand. She knew there was no way they were going to leave her side to get through the night on her own. She was thankful that they didn’t.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>How was she supposed to deal with losing Kimberly? They had been friends for over seven years, dating for five. They had planned a future together, talked about getting married, starting a family, and having kids. And now, Kimberly was just </span>
  <em>
    <span>gone</span>
  </em>
  <span>. She never even looked back. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She slowly sat up, careful not to wake up the guys, and slide herself down and off the bed. She navigates herself through the dark house and out their back door. The path to the nearest dock was familiar, it’s one she took with Kimberly all the time. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The saltwater smell was refreshing, the fresh air was freeing, and the sound of small waves calmed her. She takes a seat on the wooden planks, dangling her feet off the edge. Every now and again, she’d dip a toe in the water, causing a ripple effect. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You’re not gonna jump, are you?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Trini looks to Zack as he takes a seat next to her. “Funny.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Do you want to talk about it?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She turns away again as she scoffs. “What’s there to talk about? She’s gone.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Zack rests a hand on Trini’s knee, trying to provide her some kind of comfort. “Don’t shut me out, Crazy Girl. You don’t have to go through this alone.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>A sigh escapes and she throws her head back. She can feel the tears start to swell as she realizes the darkness of the sky has faded and the sun was starting to rise over the glistening water. “I’ll never forgive her for this.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“And you don’t have to,” Zack assures her. “This was her decision. She’s made her bed.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>As the sun continued to rise, pink and yellow cotton candy clouds covered the sky like a beautiful canvas painting. Trini felt her breath catch in her throat as she turned to Zack and the tears began to fall. “Fucking Kimberly Ann Hart.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It’s gonna be okay,” he whispers in her ear as he pulls Trini close. Running his hand up and down her back to soothe her. “We’ll get through this.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>With a nod, Trini wraps her arms around her best friend, hugging him back tightly. “With the sun rising, it means a new day has begun.” She says as she rests her head against Zack’s chest. “I don’t know how we move forward, without her, but today is here and life must go on.”</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. The Sun Will Set</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Kimberly returns to Angel Grove.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Apparently, y'all liked this one. I've had this follow up chapter written for almost a year, I thought it was time to finally share it. Enjoy! :)</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>With Kimberly out of the picture, the Power Rangers expected that the pink power coin would choose a fifth member for their team eventually. What they didn’t expect was for it to be Katherine Hillard. Billy had first met Kat while volunteering for an ocean cleanup project. The two had instantly become friends and continued to hang out from time to time. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It was during a volunteer effort at the local mine when the pink power coin appeared before Kat as Billy stood beside her. He was shocked when he saw it and even more surprised to see that it was shining brightly as its light had faded away moments after Kimberly closed the door behind her all those months before.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The bubbly blonde loved giving back to her community and instantly took to the idea of becoming one of Angel Grove’s biggest protectors. She worked hard to gain her teammates’ trust and it wasn’t long before her power suit appeared. The team was complete again: red, yellow, blue, black, and </span>
  <em>
    <span>pink</span>
  </em>
  <span>. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>In the beginning, it stung a bit to see Kimberly’s hot pink being sported by someone else, but Trini admired the way Kat did everything she could to prove herself worthy. It was almost impossible to ignore the differences between Kim and Kat. Where Kimberly was rough around the edges, Katherine was soft and mellow. Trini saw it most in the way Kat fought during battles. Her actions were careful and calculated, while her execution was so graceful. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The guys instantly took to Kat, loving her being a part of their team. For Trini, it wasn’t as easy. She had already opened herself up to one pink ranger, only to be left without a single phone call or text in two years. One day, after a putty had gotten past Trini and knocked her into a wall, Kat offered to stay with her while the boys handled cleanup to ensure she was okay. The care she provided chipped away the last bits of the wall Trini had built to protect herself from being hurt by another girl in pink. From there, she made it a point to get to know Kat better and Kat did the same. Their dynamic was special, Kat bringing out the best in Trini whereas Trini helped Kat shed a bit of her shy shell. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>When Trini finally trusted Kat enough to come out to her, the blonde practically jumped out of her seat at the opportunity of introducing her new best friend to her cousin, Gia Moran.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Gia locks her motorcycle’s kickstand into place with her foot before pulling her helmet off and shaking out her hair. Trini can’t help but stare in awe from where she’s sitting on their front porch. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You’ve been dating her for almost a year, T,” Zack laughs, nudging Trini’s arm. “I can’t believe you still drool every time she dismounts that bike.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Can you blame me,</span>
  <em>
    <span> look at her</span>
  </em>
  <span>,” Trini replies with a smirk.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah, Zackary, look at me,” Gia says, making her way up the front steps. “I’m a fucking catch.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Trini snorts as her girlfriend sits on her lap, then leans her head up to kiss her. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>With a scoff, Zack leans back in the lawn chair he’s sitting in, taking a drink of his beer. “You two should really get a room.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh, hush,” Trini says between kisses. “We’re leaving for dinner in like twenty.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>--</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The breath of ocean air instantly knocked Kimberly back into reality. It had been two years since she had stepped foot in Angel Grove. She knew it was a risky move, the entire team she left behind still lived in the small town, but she figured it was worth it. There was no way she was missing out on celebrating her dad’s 50th birthday with him. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Her dad’s birthday dinner was being held in one of the private dining rooms at the new steakhouse in town. It was safe, especially with the rooms having their own entrance on the side. Kimberly could get in and out without seeing anyone from her past. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Or so she thought. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Through the glass separating the two rooms, she could see a table full of people laughing and raising their glasses for a toast. They looked happy and excited, it made her smile. It was until she realized who was standing at the head of the table when her entire body went cold. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Trini’s head was tilted back as she kissed the blonde beside her. She had her left arm extended, showing off what had to be an engagement ring. As they broke from their kiss, the blonde wrapped her arm around Trini, pulling her close as everyone at the table began clapping. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Kimberly quickly scanned the table, noticing that all her ex-teammates were there. A pink-clad blonde sat next to Zack, her head resting against his shoulder. She wiped away a tear with her napkin. Kim had an inkling that the blonde was her replacement. It was then that Zack caught her eye, disbelief taking over his face. She couldn’t help but turn away, feeling a flood of emotions rush through her. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>--</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Kimberly has been here before, staring at her reflection in a mirror and wondering how she got where she was in life. She’s learned a lot about herself in the time since she left Angel Grove, and while she doesn’t regret the decision she made a couple of years ago, she can’t help but think about a life with Trini at her side again. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She’s thought about it constantly if she’s being honest with herself.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Kim takes a deep breath and runs a hand through her hair. She knows she shouldn’t, but she has to. She wants closure. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Needs </span>
  </em>
  <span>closure. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The door of the bathroom barely gets the chance to close before Zack is in her face. “Now I know you’re not stupid enough to think that I was going to let you through to her.” His tone was harsh, but he was pissed off. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Please, I just want to apologize to her.” Kimberly practically whispers. “I need her to know how sorry I am.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You took that girl and you </span>
  <em>
    <span>broke </span>
  </em>
  <span>her,” Zack spits back. “You crushed her soul and then you left us to pick up the pieces of </span>
  <em>
    <span>your </span>
  </em>
  <span>mess. You got the out you wanted, so now you stay the fuck away from her.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Kimberly groans in frustration as she covers her eyes with her hand and throws her head back. “It wasn’t an out, Zack, I just needed room to fucking breathe.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“That’s such bullshit and you know it. Your selfish side showed the second you asked us to skip you at our first campfire and it never disappeared. You were only thinking about yourself when you left, you didn’t give a shit what happened to the rest of us.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“That’s not,” Kimberly stumbles through her reply, trying to save face. “How can you even say that to me?” Tears are threatening to spill from her eyes and she’s fighting hard to keep them from falling. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>With an eye roll, Zack spits back. “Say what, Kim, the truth?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Kimberly can’t hide her emotions as his words pierce through her and the tears start to flow, staining her cheeks. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I told you not to expect us to be here waiting with open arms for you.” Zack’s arms cross as he glares at Kimberly, standing his ground. She wasn’t the first person to walk out on him and his family. “You say you want to apologize, you want closure. Well, you’re too fucking late. We’ve all moved on Kimberly, we’ve had </span>
  <em>
    <span>our closure</span>
  </em>
  <span>. I’m not going to let you walk in here and shatter the lives that we’ve built </span>
  <em>
    <span>without you</span>
  </em>
  <span>.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Zack, listen,” Kimberly tries to speak. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No, </span>
  <em>
    <span>you </span>
  </em>
  <span>listen,” he continues. “You don’t get to do this. You don’t get to come crashing in and ruin her again, </span>
  <em>
    <span>ruin us again</span>
  </em>
  <span>. Jason and I stayed up late for months hoping you’d change your mind and come walking back through the door. Billy never let your coin leave his side until the day it picked someone new. And Trini, that girl built a wall so fucking high that it was nearly impossible to break down. But we’ve all moved on. She’s engaged, Kimberly.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Kimberly takes a shaky breath as she looks up at Zack, her eyes red from crying. “Is she happy?” Her voice cracks. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Happier than she’s ever been,” Zack replies before he turns and walks away. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The sun was rising for Trini, but for Kim, it felt like the sun had just set and all was dark around her again.</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
</body>
</html>